Hana Le
Dedicated AI/ML 2024-25 officers Victor Lehr '26, Indivara Kolluru '25, and Prithvi Krishnan '25 are shaping the future of technology. By spearheading initiatives about artificial intelligence to educate their members, they foster a learning environment. Their willingness to expand the club's activities this year sets a precedent for future club officers.
In a world where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and revolutionizing human evolution, the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) Club has been a space where students embrace this revolution firsthand. Meeting every Friday during Flex time, the club has presented innumerable opportunities for members to engage with AI, becoming a space for students to explore the rapidly changing world of AI through student-led research projects, presentations, and alumni guest speakers.
This year, the officers were focused on making meetings dynamic and accessible to everyone, ensuring that students with all levels of AI experience could participate meaningfully. They introduced hands-on coding activities, engaging discussions with key speakers, and real-world demonstrations to make AI concepts more tangible. This approach easily became a defining part of the club’s identity. Vice President Victor Lehr ‘26 reflected on this approach and the impact it had on its members, noticing positive results.
“Going into the AI club, I really wanted to make it more interactive and show more demonstrations to get people more engaged,” Lehr said. “I think that’s a really great way to teach others while making it engaging. AI club is really interesting because I’m also in the Computer Science Club, and I think [both of them] are really great ways to learn about topics that aren’t really taught at Westwood.”
The club’s focus on interactive learning wasn’t limited to demonstrations and observations, however. A major highlight of the year was the guest speaker series, featuring Anshul Moondra, a University of Texas Austin (UT Austin) Computer Science Masters student, and Dr. CJ Paul, a Carnegie Mellon graduate who works at Kyndryl. This event provided members with real-world insight into the industrial and career-oriented applications of AI.
“The reason I went into AI club over other CTE clubs is because [of] how much AI is prominent in today’s society,” Secretary Prithvi Krishnan ‘25 said. “I was able to set up one of our two guest speaker events with my friend at UT Austin who’s currently a masters student there in computer science. Seeing that AI is very important in his day-to-day [life], he was able to answer a lot of career-oriented questions which was really interesting. Seeing something that I accomplished like that, where I set out on a project and I was able to complete it and see really positive results from it for our members, was really fulfilling to see.”
The enthusiasm in the club grew with each session of guest speakers, as members participated in discussions that deepened their understanding of AI. The officers recognized how important it was to create an environment where students felt comfortable exploring complex topics and asking questions to further their understanding of the field.
“Before this year, the club was a bit lecture-based. We would just go through slides during Flex,” President Indivara Kolluru ‘25 said. “This year, though, we had more interactive elements. We had them coding some stuff, we hosted guest speakers, and we did the student passion projects. I think the most fun project we saw this year was a vibe coding project, which is using AI to code [by] asking ChatGPT to produce different lines of code. I think learning that is really important considering how useful of a tool it is.”
Looking ahead, next year’s officers hope to build upon the momentum from this year, expanding the club’s outreach and introducing more collaborative projects for its members. The foundation laid by this year’s team has set the stage for ensuring AI literacy continues to grow within the school community.
“I definitely think that letting our members learn about AI applications in the real world is important, and I’m sure they learned a lot from the club because of the amount of questions they were asking [our] guest speakers,” Krishnan said. “Everyone said that they loved it and wanted more, so we had another one after that. I think that for future members, getting involved in more events and group-related activities would benefit the students more, as I feel like that’s an area the officers made the effort to improve this year and that’s also where the future officers can improve on.”
As this year comes to a close, the officers reflected on the club’s progress — from its humble beginnings to its currently growing presence as a space for students passionate about AI. By encouraging curiosity and innovation, the club has established a strong foundation for future leaders who are eager to push the boundaries of AI exploration.
“It’s been really fun getting to see everyone learn more about AI, especially seeing how relevant it is right now,” Kolluru said. “The AI club is a really great way for someone, even if they’re not that knowledgeable about computer science, to [get] a deeper dive into one of [the] fastest growing fields in the world.”